I bet you are probably sitting down reading this article and partially rolling your eyes thinking that I am crazy for writing about social media and technology yet again, but just hear me out. This is not me trying to negatively speak about social media and our smartphones, as I have mentioned before, the technological advances we have today definitely do make things easier and have positive implications. However, I think the majority of us take advantage and begin to develop poor habits with our smartphone and social media usage, myself included.

I am one of those people who always has my phone, of course, but I don't like to stay connected all the time. I bring my phone with me to take pictures because I like to capture fun moments and have those as memories to look back on and I don't think that is a bad thing at all. Take as many pictures as you want, but just remember to enjoy those moments with your eyes instead of focusing on a screen the entire time.

The world you live in and the environment surrounding you are so beautiful and precious, but so many of us neglect the real-world for what we think is amazing on social media and such. It is such a time-waster and you can be so much more productive with your time just by limiting how often you use your smartphone and social media, I guarantee it.

Our phones are meant to help us stay connected with others, but in reality, I think it is causing us to drift further apart from others because no one can hold a conversation anymore in the real-world. People are too caught up in social media that they can't even spend a night out with their friends without posting on Snapchat what is going on every five minutes. How are you even enjoying your time out when you just have your face in a phone all night long?

We have been accustomed so much to the technology that people will text one another when they are in the same room, how sad is that? The worst one I see is when people are out to dinner and everyone is on their phones and not even attempting to have a conversation with those around them. It makes me sad that this is what our world has become and I am by no means innocent when I say all of these things. I recognize I do the same thing, but I have been actively working on it and sharing these thoughts to hopefully help others realize how much time you are wasting on your dumb phone instead of going out and living your life.

Remember that you are not obligated to post your entire life for everyone to see and nor should you feel that way. You don't have to post your every move on Instagram or Snapchat just because everyone else does. You have the right to your privacy and no one needs to know what you are doing at all hours of the day, and no one genuinely cares as much about your life as you may think they do.

I love Instagram just as much as everyone else, but life is much more than your Instagram feed. I try to post quotes that actually mean something to inspire others, or just simply pictures that I enjoy which is usually of the beach because that is my home. Don't post pictures just to get "likes" because you are worth so much more than a double-tap on an Instagram post.

I challenge everyone reading this, including myself, to put away your phone when you are trying to get work done. Put it on do not disturb and place it out of sight and see what a dramatic difference it makes in your daily life. I know when I am at work I have been placing my phone in my purse in a closed drawer so I can't see it and it has drastically improved my work ethic. Stop living your life through your phone screen and soak it what is physically around you. You have one life to live, don't waste it by being on your phone all the time.